Middle School Native Plant Habitat Restoration Education Activities

With a focus on our Pacific Northwest native ecosystems, these hands-on lessons readily complement science-based activities such as the creation of a native plant habitat garden. The curriculum, coupled with the development of a habitat garden, provides for powerful learning and restores valuable habitat for native plants and wildlife. Guidelines for creating a habitat garden may be found at Middle School Native Plant Habitat Garden Restoration Project.

Collect portions of plants that show key field characteristics helpful for identification, press them for future use in identification, in ID booklets, for the plant community poster, and/or the ecosystem poster.

Select from a list of wildlife species in the region and create posters that show habitat, range, food sources and predators (food pyramid). Use the poster to create a plant list for habitat restoration beneficial to the specific wildlife species.

Through the Washington Native Plant Society, these middle school educational activities are available for educational use without charge. All the materials listed were developed by the Starflower Foundation as it worked with middle school students through the Habitat Garden/ Restoration Project at the Environmental and Adventure School in the Lake Washington School District. The goal of the project and materials is to help people better understand and appreciate a Northwest native plant community and its value to wildlife and people.